ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shakira has both set and shattered numerous music chart and world records.
She’s won three Grammy Awards, 12 Latin Grammys, was named the top-selling female Latin artist of all time in 2018, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and perhaps her most famous hit, “Hips Don’t Lie,” has amassed more than 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Now, the Colombian-born global superstar can add another honor to her decadeslong career as she’s the subject of a new exhibition inside the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles.
“This exhibit offers a nuanced look at why Shakira is so important. It looks at her multifaceted career as a singer, a songwriter, a performer and dancer,” said Jasen Emmons, chief curator for the museum, as he stood in the exhibition, which opened to the public on March 4 and runs through February 2024.
“You will enter sort of what we like to think of as Shakira’s world,” he added.
Dubbed “Shakira, Shakira: The Grammy Museum Experience,” the exhibition is housed in the museum’s third floor Latin Music Gallery and includes more than 50 pieces from her personal collection and other items that span her nearly 30-year career like lyric sheets, photographs, outfits, videos and some seriously shiny guitars.
“She’s been a real pathfinder and groundbreaker in terms of showing how important Latin music is and having crossover success. I think she’s paved the way for a lot of artists,” Emmons said.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, her career started with a more Latin rock-oriented focus, but evolved into multiple genres, from bachata and reggaeton to pop.
Part of her story is told through video presentations, including one room that’s sectioned off by gold string curtains where guests can sit on chairs and view early footage of the singer talking about her inspirations and performing some early songs.
In another enclosed room, fans can watch several of her music videos and listen to music critics talk about her impact on music and pop culture, while in a third semi-circular theater space, they can experience her in action through a film that showcases Shakira’s live performances during various concerts and televised appearances.
The exhibition also aims to spotlight the singer’s lyrics and musicianship with displays that include her songwriting notebooks, filled with handwritten lyrics for the song “Nada,” from her 2017 “El Dorado Album.” On the other side of the glass box that houses her notebook are harmonicas she has played on tour, as well as her rhyming dictionary, which she uses when coming up with songs.
Among the most attention-grabbing items are her various guitars, which include a pink and white Fender Stratocaster electric guitar covered in 20,000 Swarovski crystals that she played during her Oral Fixation Tour in 2006. There’s also a Yamaha Revstar electric guitar that looks like it was fully dipped in gold, which she played during her 2018 El Dorado Tour.
But it may be her various glamorous, stylish and daring outfits that draw the most attention.
On display is a gold outfit and customized Adidas shoes she wore during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show when she performed her song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” with Jennifer Lopez.
People will also get a close up view of the other outfit she wore during the Super Bowl, a red sparkly dress and boots, as well as a gold belly dancing outfit she wore on tour and the leafy bikini she sported on the cover of her 2005 album “Oral Fixation.”
“I hope people come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for Shakira. She’s had an incredible career,” Emmons said.
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'SHAKIRA, SHAKIRA: THE GRAMMY MUSEUM EXPERIENCE'
When: 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, closed on Tuesdays; through February 2024
Where: The Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles.
Tickets: $12 for children and college students; $15 for seniors and military; $18 general admission at 213-765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.
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